Corded seam



Am 9 WW c. A sMmrH CORDED SEAM Filed Aug. 20, 1947 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 8, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORDED SEAM 'Creston A. Smith, Philadelphia, Application August 20, 1947, Serial N 0. 769,657

v 1 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improved self-looking seaming strips or cords for use on upholstered furniture or the like and to a method and apparatus for forming corded seams, the present invention being an improvement over that disclosed in my prior pending application, Serial No. 718,191, filed December 24, 1946, now Patent No. 2,496,820, issued February 7, 1950.

An object of my present invention is to provide, as a separate article of manufacture, a flexible strip-like means which will serve as a seaming cord for binding therein the marginal edges of fabrics to be joined together, the seaming strip being so constructed as to be selflocking in compacted condition with the said marginal edges of the fabrics to be joined together securely gripped within the closed seam by the said locking means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple manually operated device by means of which the said seif-locl zing flexible seaming cord strip may be easily and readily locked in position over the marginal edges of fabrics to be joined together to form tightly filled corded seams.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide in a seli'locking flexible seaming strip which is adapted to be folded longitudinally thereof about the marginal edges of fabrics to be joined together, means centrally disposed along one face of said seaming strip which will serve to guide and properly position the said marginal edges within said corded seam and which means will also serve as a filling for the cord conjointly with the said marginal edges of the fabrics to be joined together to tightly fill said corded seam so that the same will present a "desirable appearance- Still another object of the present invention is to provide in a self-locking flexible seaming strip, self-locking means which comprise barb tipped fingers secured within and projecting transversely from each of the longitudinal beaded edges of the said strip, the said fingers being provided with heads which serve to securely fasten the same within the said beaded edges.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved method of forming tightly filled corded sea-ms which includes the step of juxtaposing the marginal edges of fabrics to be joined together to form seam allowances, the step of placing a flexible self-locking seaming strip in enveloping relation upon said seam a1 lowances with each of said marginal edges within a guide grooveiormed in said strip, and the step of forming the cord-ed seam by causing the sell-locking means of the strip to bind the interlookod marginal edges of the fabrics and thestrip together in a single and continuous operation.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the toll-owing description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the selfiocking flexible seaming strip of my invention shown in position over the marginal edges 0t" fabrics which are joined together thereby within a tightly filled corded seam and the lacing means forming said seam;

Figure 2 iso perspective view of the outer face of my improved self-inciting flexible seaming strip;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2' showing thefnner face oi the seaming strip;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the condition of the corded seam at the commencement of the binding operation;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the finished corded seam;

Figure '6 is a perspective View of the binding device;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of the binding device taken on the line 'l''! of Figure 6';

Figure -8 is a crosssectional View of the binding device taken on the line B3 of Figure 6; and

Figure 9' is a cross sectional view of the binding device taken on line 9--9 of Figure 8.

Referring now to Figures 1, 4 and 5 it will be seen that fabrics it! and H which may form the cover of upholstered furniture or the like and are to be joined together have their marginal edges turned as at 12 and "i3 and arranged in juxtaposition to provide material for a closing seam.

The seam allowance edges l2 and 13 are embraced within the seaming cord or strip M which preferably consists of a flexible stripdike piece of textile or other material whose lengthwise extending marginal edges are rolled over and suitably secured. to cores l5 of such material as compressed felt, rubber or compacted cotton to form the side beads 15 and ii. Also secured to the strip 44 on the under surface thereof is a lengthwise extending core i8, triangular in cross section, which is spaced midway between the side beads it and H, this intermediate core 43 being of a material similar to that of the cores 1 5 l 5. One fiat base of the triangular core i8 is secured to the strip 14 While the remaining relatively inclined faces are freely disposed to respectively fit against corresponding flat faces of the beads I6 and Il when the seaming strip I4 is in compacted condition with the marginal ends I2 and I3 of the fabrics to be joined together disposed therebetween, all as clearly appears in Figures 1 and 5.

A plurality of laterally projecting fastening or looking elements I9, each consisting of a shank having a freely extending barb 20 at one end and an anchoring tail 2! at the other end, ar suitably embedded and secured within the cores I5I5 of the beads I6 and H. The barbed fastening elements I9 project transversely of the bead I8, as shown in Figure 3 in staggered relation to the corresponding elements I9 in the opposite bead IT. The relative arrangement of these barbed elements I9I9 is such that as the cord It is compacted, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, with the marginal edges 52 and I3 of the fabrics lying between the opposite faces of the core I8 and the beads I6 and Ill, respectively, the barbed ends of the elements I9 on the beads I6 and H are caused to move toward each other to pierce the two fabrics I and II disposed therebetween and to enter and be retained within the oppositely disposed cores I--I5 of the beads I6 and I1. It will be noted that the anchoring extremities of the fastening elements It provide the means by which the said elements are securely held within the cores I5I5 against displacement therefrom during subsequent use of the finished corded seam.

It will also be noted that the inclusion of the central core I8 in the seaming strip it provides the means for positioning the marginal ends l2 and I3 of the fabrics Ill and H within the finished corded seam and also acts as a filling means, conjointly with the said marginal ends, to completely fill the finished seam so as to render it substantially solid and of compact and neat appearance. The parts are proportioned so that there is just enough material of the strip I4 at 2| extending between the central core I 3 and the side beads I6 and I! to cover the otherwise free side faces of the core I3 when the seaming strip is in its compacted condition as shown in Figure 5.

It is obvious that any suitable means may be employed for positioning the cord upon the seam allowance marginal ends and for passing the barbed fasteners therethrough and into the oppositely disposed beads to form the corded seam. While in some instances the invention may be practiced by performing these operations manually, a particularly efficient means for compacting the seaming strip into cord form is disclosed in the device shown in Figures 6, '7, 8 and 9.

The last-mentioned means comprises a binding device 22 having die surfaces incorporated therein. This device, which may be conveniently made of metal or of plastic composition, is preferably constructed as a unitary member operable manuall by the user. As shown, the binding device 22 comprises a flared, generally tubular body member 23 terminating at its lower side in a pair of laterally spaced flattened portions 24-24, each of which latter is provided with an upstanding lip 25. The body 23 tapers in transverse dimension from the widened inlet end 26 to the narrow discharge end 21, said body being internally provided with a pair of relatively inclined tongues 2828 extending downwardly from each side of the top of the body 23 for a portion of the length thereof toward the center.

The tapered body 23 and the flattened bottom portions 24-24 provide in effect two tapered opposing channels between which the seaming cord I4 is accommodated during movement of the binding device lengthwise of the seaming strip to be compacted as shown in Figure 1. During such passage of the device over the cord, the depending tongues 28--28 are in contact with the cord and fold the material of the same between the central bore I8 and the side beads I6 and H. A channel is formed between each tongue 23 and each flat piece 24 and lip 25 within which each of the beads I6 and I1 may enter. Likewise a channel is formed between the depending tongues 2828 and the body 23 within which the central core I8 may enter. Inasmuch as the device 22 tapers from the larger inlet end thereof, at 26, to the smaller discharge end, at 21, it will be obvious that the channels previously described converge relatively to each other so that the respective parts of the cord are progressively forced toward each other until at the constricted discharge end of the device the parts of the cord are compacted into seamed and locked relation with the barbed elements I9 piercing the marginal ends I2 and I3 and caught within the beads It and I1.

From the foregoing explanation, the manner of using the binding device will now be apparent. When it is desired to make a corded seam between two pieces of fabric Ill and I I, the marginal edges I2 and I3 of said fabrics are arranged into juxtaposition, and then placed inside one end of a length of seaming cord on each side respectively of the central core I8. The beads IS and I! are then brought into position to hold the marginal ends of the fabrics therebetween and to force the barbed elements I9 through the marginal ends I2 and I3 and into the opposite cores I5I5 of the beads I6 and Il. This operation is preferably commenced as a hand operation, following which the binding device .22 is placed with the started end of the seaming cord entering the inlet end 26 of said device, the respective parts of the seaming cord entering the channels previously described, The binding device 22 is now moved manually longitudinally along the marginal ends of the fabric to be joined together in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, and the converging channels of the binding device then force the parts of the seaming cord toward each other so that the barbed elements I9 are progressively forced toward each other through the said marginal ends I2 and I3 and into the oppositely disposed cores I-5I5 of the beads I5 and I7, thus completing the seaming of the cord as the device 22 passes thereover. The depending tongues 2828 enter between the central core I3 and the side beads I6 and I? to force the fabric of the seaming strip I4 down alongside the marginal ends I2 and E3 to form a neat and tight seam. The parts are now in locked position and the corded seam is complete.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention herein described is susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be made from time to time without departing from the general principles or real spirit thereof, and it is accordingly intended to claim the same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims. 7

What is claimed as new and useful is:

l. A seaming strip for making corded seams comprising a strip of flexible material having lengthwise extending spaced raised portions in the center and along the marginal edges thereof, each of said marginal edge portions having selfcontaining means for engagement with the other marginal edge portion.

2. A seaming strip for making corded seams comprising a strip of flexible material having lengthwise extending spaced raised portions in the center and along the marginal edges thereof, each of said marginal edge portions carrying its own self-contained means for locking engagement with the other marginal edge portion.

3. A seaming strip for making corded seams comprising a strip of flexible material having a longitudinally extending raised portion along the center thereof, each of the marginal edges of said strip being formed with self-contained means for locking engagement with the other marginal edge.

4. A seaming strip for making corded seams comprising a strip of flexible material having beads formed along the marginal edges thereof, locking pins secured at intervals along and in said beads and projecting laterally therefrom, heads on said pins within said beads, and barbs on the projecting ends of said pins for locking engagement with the opp site bead.

5. A seaming strip for making corded seams comprising strip of flexible material having beads formed along the marginal edges thereof, a band of triangular cross section extending lengthwise of said strip in the center thereof and spaced from said marginal beads, said marginal beads each carrying its own self-contained means for locking engagement with the other marginal bead.

6. A cOIded seam consisting of the marginal portions of fabrics to be joined together and a seaming strip embracing said marginal portions in juxtaposed position, said strip carrying its own means extending through said marginal portions to lock said strip in fabric embracing relation to form said seam and a filler forming-part of said strip extending between said marginal portions of the fabric.

7. A corded seam consisting of the marginal portions of fabrics to be joined together, a filler and a seaming strip embracing said marginal portions and said filler with the latter extending between the marginal portions, said strip carrying its own means for locking itself in said embracing relation to form said corded seam.

8. A corded seam consisting of the marginal portions f fabrics to be joined together and a seaming strip embracing said marginal portions, said strip having a longitudinally extending filler along its center and longitudinally extending beads formed along its marginal edges, said beads each carrying self-contained means for locking engagement with the other bead to hold said strip in said fabric embracing relation to form said seam, said means penetrating said marginal portions and said filler extending between said marginal portions.

CRESTQN A. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 169,760 Baker Nov. 9, 1875 1,467,626 Tucker Sept. 11, 1923 2,290,007 Valentine July 14, 1942 2,440,138 Benefield Apr. 20, 1948 

